A cross-reference of related applications are provided at the end of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments section of the present application.
The present invention relates to communication between users in diverse communication systems, and to providing a broadband communication system including an Internet Protocol Telephony Network and public switched telephone network. In particular, the invention relates to balancing peak processing loads encountered by elements of an Internet Protocol Telephony Network.
Present day telephony voice networks, have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user services.
In an IP telephone network according to the present invention, when an extremely high volume of calls to a single IP telephone number is received, the particular Call Manager (CM) dedicated to handle the numbering translation or other functions for that IP telephone number will become overloaded. If the overload condition is left untreated, the Call Manager will eventually crash or saturate and be unable to accept new calls, or timely process pending calls. Such high volume of call to a single telephone number may occur, for example, where a merchant""s toll free packet network telephone number, IP-8YY toll free telephone number, is announced during or after a television commercial, and the response is overwhelming. Another common example is where a radio station hold a contest to see who will be the nth caller to call the radio station. There is a need to protect the Call Manager from overloading under such circumstances, for example by providing for the off loading of calls from an overloaded Call Manager to another network resource.
Aspects of the invention include to providing broadband access capabilities or enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure.
Other aspects of the invention include providing one or more of the following either individually, or in any combination or subcombination:
a new broadband architecture;
broadband network capabilities, including local access;
enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure;
It is an object to the present invention to ameliorate a load on an overloaded call manager. It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention to notify a network that future calls are to be directed to a second call manager. It is a further object of another embodiment of the present invention to transfer at least one pending call from the first call manager to a second call manager.
These and other objects are achieved in a method of managing call traffic that includes determining when a load of a first call manager exceeds a predetermined load level, and ameliorating the load when the load exceeds the predetermined load level.
In another embodiment of the invention, a system includes a processor, a memory, and a plurality of modules stored in the memory to control the processor. The plurality of modules include a module to determine when a load of a first call manager exceeds a predetermined load level, and a module to ameliorate the load when the load exceeds the predetermined load level.
In another embodiment of the invention, a computer readable media includes a plurality of modules to control a processor. The plurality of modules include a module to determine when a load of a first call manager exceeds a predetermined load level, and a module to ameliorate the load when the load exceeds the predetermined load level.
In another embodiment, the load of any of the above embodiments is ameliorated by either notifying a network that future calls are to be directed to a second call manager, or transferring at least one pending call from the first call manager to a second call manager, or both.
Although the invention has been defined using the appended claims, these claims are exemplary and limiting to the extent that the invention is meant to include one or more elements from the apparatus and methods described herein and in the applications incorporated by reference in any combination or subcombination. Accordingly, there are any number of alternative combinations for defining the invention, which incorporate one or more elements from the specification (including the drawings, claims, and applications incorporated by reference) in any combinations or subcombinations.